Upholstered article



Get 31, IE%& w. c. FISHER UPHOLSTERED ARTICLE Filed Nov: 23. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l g 1 Pi: l l

, AINVENTOR MAL/A ATT RN at 3L w. 'c. FISHER UPHOLSTERED ARTICLE Filed Nov. 25,1952

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVEN M F BY TOR ATroR;Z

0d. 31 1933. w c, FISHER P5333 372 UP-HOLSTERED ARTICLE Filed Nov. 23, 1952 v s sheetS-snee t 3 lNVENTOR MAL/AM (I f ATT NE.

Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,933,372 UPHOLSTEBED ARTICLE William 0. Fisher, New York, N. Y., assignor to W. & J. Sloane, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 23, 1932 Serial No. 643,961

r 2 Claims.

portant items of cost, and in such cases the life i of the upholstery is always very-,much shorter than that of the remainder of the article. Furthermore, many of the most expensive fabrics are most easily soiled or most likely to show soil, and it frequently happens, therefore, that the useful life of the upholstery is determined not by its ability to withstand wear, but by the accident of its becoming soiled. This is particularly true in public places such as the better hotels, clubs, steamships, etc., where a scheme numerous chairs in the same fabric. Perspiration, or a bit of food spilled onto the upholstery of some of these chairs may necessitate their being removed from service, and eventually it may be necessary to reupholster the entire group of chairs, although many of them may still be useful.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an article such as a seat, including chairs, divans, stools, etc., with removable upholstery, so that with only a few seconds work, and without danger of injury to the article itself or the upholstery, the latter may be removed to be cleaned or replaced. Thus, for example, the

staining of the upholstery upon a chair becomes 40 very little more of a calamity than the staining of the linen upon a bed, since it can be changed even more readily, and the chair put back into service at once. When a set of chairs is made with a particularupholstery fitting into the scheme of decoration of a room. a number of extra sets of upholstery can be made at the same time, and in this way those which become soiled or damaged can be replaced for cleaning or repairing, or if injured beyond repair, on be permanently replaced by the extra sets of upholstery made from the same fabric.

It is a common practice, both in the better class hotels, clubs, theatres, etc., and in homes where considerable attention is paid to interior decoration, to use a different scheme for the decoration during the summer months than during the win er. Since it is not ordinarily practicable to changethe furniture entirely, it has become common practice to provide slip covers for the furniture; This is done'in part of decoration may call for the upholstering of I move it.

to protect the furniture against the greater danger of soil from perspiration, etc., during the summer months, and in part for the psychological effect of the scheme of decoration which calls for cooler colors and textures during the hot weather than during the colder winter months. The use of slip covers, however, has not been a satisfactory solution of this problem, and it is common experience that such covers are ordinarily ill-fitting, and frequently pulled out of shape during use. The present invention .makes possible the removalland substitution of upholstery to fit in varied schemes of decoration with only an instants work required.- Thus the same chair may be fitted into the decorative scheme of .a room, summer or winter, or may be moved from room to room as needed, and

may have its upholstery changed to suit the decorative scheme of each room in which it is uSed.

A further important problem in the upholstering of furniture which has never found a satisfactory solution is that of sanitation. It is'well recognized that upholstery, such as plush seats in railway cars and the like, may serve to carry disease germs, or even vermin. It is highly desirable that the upholstery used in public seats should be cleaned at frequent intervals for hygienic reasons, but prior to my invention, this has not been practicable because the upholstery cannot be satisfactorily cleaned on the furniture, and could not be removed without injury both to the upholstery and to the seat itself. .My present invention solves this problem by making the matter of removal so simple and entirely free from possible injury either to the upholstery or the seat that it will be more economical to change the upholstery for dry-cleaning or laundering. etc., which can be done by anyone without skill or training, than to vacuum-clean, or brush or sponge the fabric, all of which are at best superflcial, and serve mainly to drive the dirt or soil deeper into the upholstery, rather than to rewith these and other objects in view, my invention contemplates the provision of upholstery accurately tailored to the measurements of the article or portion thereof which is to be covered, and cut wherever necessary to permit the application of the upholstery to, and its removal from, the article, with a slide fastener provided for closing the cut and smoothly and uniformly drawing the upholstery together so that it clasps snugly the portion of the article which is to be covered.

I am aware that prior to my invention slide fasteners have been applied to numerous uses where they have served to close the mouth of a container, or openings in, garments, and the like. In such uses, slide fasteners have replaced buttons, hooks, clasps, straps, ties, etc. None of these, however, have been seriously considered as means for securing satisfactorily upholstery onto an article.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention as applied, for example, to a particularly dimcult type of seat. This is shown only by way of illustration, and it is to be understood that the invention may be applied to numerous different types of seat,

. or other articles, and that in the use of the invention in any particular case, various modifications and adaptations will be made which may differ from the embodiment illustrated in the drawings.

Fig. l is a front elevation of a chair upholstered according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation showing the upholstery partly released for removal;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line d-d of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. l; I

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the upholstery with the external ire of thechair brolren away; I

Fig. 7 is a vertical section talren on line E -f cringe;

Fig. 8 is a detail view illustrat the type of separable slide fastener which y be utilized to advantage in the present invention;

Fig. 9 is a view of the same fastener as illustrated in Fig. 8, showing the se partly joined;

Fig. lll'is a sectional detail view taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 6, illustrating a method of attaching upholstery on tufted articles;

Fig. 11 is a detail view illustrating one method of hiding a se closed by means of a slide fastener;

Fig. 12 is a cross-section through the seam shown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a cross-section through a hidden corner seam closed by a slide fastener:

Fig. 1% is a view of a corner se "aifmf to Fig. 13, but in which the slide fastener elements are joined at right angles;

Fig. 15 is a cross-section similar to Fig. l4, sho the slide key in position over the fastener elements;

Fig. 16 is a plan view of a hidden in: with the slide key removed, and part of the cover flap being broken away to expose the faste: and

Fig. l? is a perspective view taken from the back and below a theatre chair covered according to my'invention.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to d, I have illustrated a type of chair in which the fre is to be exposed at the front of the a l and on the legs 2 and 3, and stretchers d, we the upholstery is to cover the cushion part of the arms 5, the entire back 6. and the entire bottom 7. In the embodiment shown, the upholstery is cut and accurately fitted to the back and the bottom. Obviously, if this were completely sewn-together, it would be impossible to apply the upholstery to the c. It is therefore w 2 to leave certain sea 0 to be secured ether after the upholstery is put in place. fisceptfbr these few scams or cuts, however, the uph tery is complete. 7 All the so are a: or. with welt or braid, or in any other manner that is desired, and the entire upholstery is r for application to the chair. Of course; it would be possible, after this upholstery is in place on the chair, to

nosasvs close the seams by sewing them smoothly together. I have found, however, that this may be accomplished with entire satisfaction by the use of slide fasteners, and that when the seams are closed in this manner, the upholstery may be applied to, or removed from, a chaireven as difficult a chair as that shown in the drawingswith but a few seconds, or at most a few minutes work. When the scams or cuts are closed by the slide fasteners, they are uniformly drawn together, with no tendency to draw or wrinkle, and with perfect security against pulling out,.and the upholstery will'thereafter snugly clasp the back, and bottom, and the arms of the seat, engaging the corners and projections and depressions thereof so that it cannot be moved about any more than could upholstery permanently nailed to the frame.

Obviously, with each chair there may be special problems in fitting. Thus, for example, in the chair illustrated, the upholstery is to be drawn across the front of the chair over the legs, and since the arms 1 are wider than the front legs 2, a tab 8 has been provided which is tucked in across the bottom, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.. Also, because of this construction, it is necessary to provide cuts or open se 9 in the bottom cover adjacent the arms.

The upholstery for the cushion portions 5 of the arms is joined by a seam 10 along the middle of the under side, so that itlis substantially hidden from view, whilethe seams l1 and the cuts 12 permit the upholstery to be drawn back and slid between the arm portions 5 when it is drawn over the top of the back 6.

In this particular chair, it has been found unobjectionable to leave the cut 12 without a closure, since it is held satisfactorily if the lower portion is tucked slightly under the upper por tion when the cut 11 is drawn together by means of the slide fastener.

As most clearly shown in Fig. 4, the bottom is secured in place by means of three seams l3 and 1d, the central portion of the bottom being permanently connected with the remainder of the upholstery forthe bottom of the chair.

In this particular case, it is desirable to have all of the slide fasteners separable, and for this purpose I have found the type of separable fastener shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the most satisfactory. In this case, the cuts are secured together by a male element 15 having an enlarged end and a female portion 16 having a channel into which the male portion may be slid longitudinally as shown in Fig. 9, and in which it will be engaged so as to prevent transverse separation. Beyond this end fastener, the slide fastener may be of any of the common types, e. g; as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. It is to be understood, also, that this type of fastener is shown only by way of It will be seen in this figure that the pull tab of the slide '22 is made with a locking finger 23,

which extends throughthe slide 22 and engages between the fastener elements 17 so as to look 'a nailed upholstery.

the slide and hold the tab fiat against the slide. In applyingthe upholstery as shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the back portion is first drawnover the back of the chair from the top to the arm portions. 5 The arm portions are laid over the cushioned parts of the arms, and the bottom portion is laid over the bottom ofthe chair and drawn up undemeath. The seams 13 are then closed by means of the slide fastener, at the same time tucking in the flaps 8, as shown in-Fig. 4.. The seam 14 may then be closed and the seams 11, making sure that the edge 12 is neatly tucked in as shown in Fig. 2. The seams 10 beneath the arms, are then closed in similar manner, and finally the 15 bolster 18 is tucked between the cushions of the back 6 and of the bottom '7. This bolster 18 may be a stiff, flexible strip, e. g., as shown and described in British Patent No. 303,282, and sumciently larger than the two thicknesses of fabric go so that the pressure of the cushions will hold it firmly anchored in position when into place.

If the upholstery has it is tucked been properly tailored to an accurate fit, it will be found that when the seams are closed and the bolster tucked into place, as just described, it will be securely held in place, and no amount of shifting of a person sitting in the chair will cause noticeable shifting of the upholstery. For all practical effects, the chair is as 0 completely and satisfactorily upholstered asif every part were nailed to the frame in the usual manner, but if it should be desired to remove the upholstery for cleaning, or to change it to fit into a different scheme of decoration, or merely for 5 the purpose of reupholstering, it can be done with only a minute's work.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a tufted cushion on the back of the chair. In this case, the tuft is effected by means of one half of a separable fastener,

e. g., a snap fastener, attached to the tufting' loop 31 at the time the original muslin cover is put on. The other half 32 of the fastener is 7 secured in the proper position in the tailored upholstery, and after it is put in place, as just de- 5 scribed, the two halves of the fastener are pushed together, whereupon thetufting appear exactly as though it were done in the usual-manner.

. In some cases, as for example in period furniture, it may be desirable to finish the edges of the 0 upholstery with tape or with upholsterers nails similar to those now used in nailing the upholstery to the frame. In such a case, the tape may be sewn to the fabric, or the nailheads may be secured to soft rivets instead of nails, so that they may be secured either directly to the fabric,

or to a tape which is sewn to the fabric. In either case, thefact that the upholstery is closely fitted to the frame will result in a neat appearance which will be practically indistinguishable from Although in some cases the slide fasteners may be adequately hidden by their positioning, as in the case of the seam 10 beneath the arms, and the seams 13 and .14 beneath the bottom, and in other cases these fasteners may be taken advantage of as an integral part of the design of the upholstery, just as the nails or other fastening means are frequently worked into the 'design in nailed upholstery, nevertheless, it will often be desirable to hide these seams, and this is particularly true in period furniture, where the appearance of a modern slide fastener might be regarded as incongruous. For this purpose. numerous expedients may be adopted. Some of these I have illustrated in the drawings. For example, a

' together.

' with the -may be substantially flap 20 may be used, as shown in Figs. '1, 8, 9 and 16, which may cover the seam either by virtue of its own stiffness, or may be secured by snap fasteners, or otherwise. In Figs. 11 and 12, another way of hiding the fasteners and making the seam inconspicuous is illustrated. In this case, the tapes 21, to which the fastener elements 1'? are secured, are sewed beneath the fabric and on either side of the seam in such relation to the edge that when the fastener is closed, the edges of the fabric will be brought snugly together.

For a most perfect hiding of the seam in this way, it may be desirable to avoid a hem, and finish the edges by means of a suitable adhesive applied to the back of the fabric which will anchor the threads thereof and prevent raveling, and

preferably which will also stiffen the fabric so as to cause it to lie flat against the fastener. For this purpose I have found rubber to be particularly desirable. I may, for example, coat the fabric with a film of vulcanized latex, which, when it is dried, will anchor the threads of the fabric, and will stiffen the .fabric and render it more elastic; or a similar result may be accomplished by placing a rubber-coated tape over the edges, and securing it thereto and vulcanizing by pressing with a hotiron. The entire tape may be left in place, or it may have a Holland cloth or other facing material which can be stripped from the rubber after it is vulcanized. The rubber used for this purpose may advantageously be an oilresistant composition to withstand dry cleaning solvents, and may be one of the synthetic substances designed for such use instead of natural pletely covered with the same material as the upholstery, and inasmuch as the slide will ordinarily be drawn to an inconspicuous position, as underneath the arms, or beneath the bottom, this may be suflicient to make the presence of the key 22 unobjectionable. Another method of hiding the key 22 is by'means of a 20. If, however, the presence of the key is objectionable, I have found it entirely feasible to remove it entirely.

, Thus, for example, as shown in Fig. 1.6, the usual end stops may be omitted, or made small enough to permit the key to slide over them, and the edges of the fabric to which the fastener elements 1'! are secured, may be secured together method is equally applicable to other ways of hiding the seam, as for example, the edge to edge seam shown in Figs. 11 and 12, or the corner seam as shown in Figs. 13 and 15.

In Fig. 13, I have illustrated how a corner seam completely hidden by the use of corner welting 19. In this case, the tape 21 at one side of the slide fastener is secured to the welting, while the other side is secured beneath the upholstery. The upholstery is extended In this case, the slide itself is comflap similar to the flap.

flap 20, it is to be understood that the of course, be treated in many N a neeasra to the corner so that it abuts against the welting, and, if necessary, is stiffened so as to cause it to lie flat and hold its position. When the fastener is closed, the edge of the upholstery will lie under the welting and form a completely hidden seam, as shown in Fig. 13.

Although the arrangement shown in Fig. 13 has the advantage of using a standard 180 fastener, an even more perfect corner may be made by the use of a fastener, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15. In this case, the fastener elements themselves fit over the corner of the frame, and -thereby hold the upholstery even more securely against shifting relative to the frame. Such a fastener may consist of dome and socket elements 17, exactly the same as those used in the 180 fastener, but in this case, the slide key 22a will, of course, have to be made in right angle form, instead of flat. I'hav'e shown such a key partially in plan, and partially in cross-section, in Fig. 15.

In Fig. 17 I have shown, by way of further example, an application of my invention to another type of seat. In this case, a theatre seat is shown which has only the back and bottom upholstered. The metal brackets 25' which connect the back and the arms prevent the upholstery from completely surrounding the seat, and the fact that the bottom is pivoted so as to be turned up when the seat is not in use, requires that the upholstery for the bottom and the back be separate. In this case, the upholstery for the back is tailored thereto exactly as in the case illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, and is drawn over it in the same manner; however, the upholstery cannot be drawn around the sides to seams, as at 11, nor under the bottom to a seam as at 14. It is therefore drawn beneath the back to a seam at 26, which because it is underneath, may be entirely hidden from view, or may be covered or disguised in any suitable way, as for example, any of those shown in Figs. 11 to 16. If the back is made with a sharp frame along the bottom, the 90 fastener, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, may be of advantage for holding the upholstery more rigidly in place. Even without this, however, if the upholstery is accurately tailored, it will be found that it will hold as securely and firmly as though it were secured directly to the frame in the usual manner. For the bottom of this seat, the upholstery is accurately fitted over the upper surface and for a'short distance beneath the bottom or seat portion, like a hood, avoiding interference with the usual hat rack commonly provided beneath such theatre seats. I have found that a single slit, as at 2'7, is sufficient to permit the application of this upholstery to the seat, and that when closed by means of the slide fastener, the upholstery will be drawn so snugly over the bottom that it will hold its place and will not be wrinkled or shifted by the movements of an occupant of the chair.

Obviously, the above are only a few of the numerous embents of my invention which have been worked out, and which may be worked out from time to time. As already suggested, each job will present minor problems as to the placing of the slits and their fasteners, so as to work into the des of the upholstery, or to be hidden from view, and atthe same time to allow the drawing apart of the upholstery at any position where it would otherwise tend to be locked in place by reason of the shape of the article.

In some cases it will be desirable to combine larly for example where a modernistic note is desired, the fastener itself may form a feature of the decoration. In so far as the method of the present invention can be used,-that is, the upholstery can be accurately tailored so as to grasp the frame or the cushioning of the seat or other upholstered article,this invention avoids the necessity for nailing strips, or other complicated fastening means, such as have ordinarily been required to secure upholstery upon a metal frame, and makes possible the completion of the upholstery apart from the frame, thus avoiding the difficulty which is ordinarily experienced when it is attempted to secure upholstery to a metal frame by sewing it after it is put in position upon the frame.

I have found that when the above instructions are intelligently applied, this invention, either with or without the invention of my Patent No. 1,908,233 will enable a skilled worker to provide easily removable upholstery of the highest quality on any seat, or similar article, which I have thus far been able to discover. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the foregoing is to be taken only as exemplary of the numerous applications to which the invention may be applied, and in no sense limiting its scope.

What I claim as new is:

L'An upholstered article of furniture comprising a frame with supports extending therefrom, cushioning material held by said frame, an upholstery cover accurately tailored to a skin-tight fit thereupon and having portions thereof extending beneath said cushion and frame and adapted to meet edge to edge along a line parallel to an edge of said frame and normally hidden from view by said cushioning material and frame, and a slide fastener adapted when closed to serve as a reinforcing and stiffening rod and adapted to draw said meeting edges of the cover smoothly and tightly together so as to clasp said cover securely upon said article while it is otherwise free therefrom.

2. An upholstered article of furniture comprising a frame with supports extending therefrom, cushioning material held by said frame, an upholstery cover accurately tailored to a skin-tight fit thereupon and having a bottom portion thereof extending between said supports and beneath said frame and cushioning material and having notches to accommodate said support extensions. said bottom portion being divided between said notches so as to permit withdrawal of the resulting divisions of the bottom portion between said supports and a slide fastener secured to the divisions of the bottom portion along the dividing line adapted to draw them smoothly and tightly together and when closed to serve also as a reinforcing and stiifening rod, said cover being securely clasped onto said article even though it is otherwise free therefrom.

run 

